Catch Me
by SincerelyAna
Summary: Daphne Greengrass, orphaned at the young age of eight, becomes betrothed to the only respectable pureblood wizard left, Sirius Black. Non-canon
1. It Happened on the Job

**Before You Read:**

 **James and Lily are very much alive, and Sirius never went to Azkaban for reasons I have yet to decide. Since there isn't much on Daphne Greengrass (canon), I pulled some inspiration from Astoria and made things up along the way. For those who have read my other story, hi there and welcome! This little idea popped into my head when I realized how many Sirimione fics are out there and although they're a wonderful pairing... I've begun to loathe Hermione (which I'm appalled over believe me).**

 **I'll point out the sizeable age-gap pairing here. If you're uncomfortable with the idea - don't read.**

 **Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

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 **Chapter 1**

 _It Happened on the Job_

 **February 1988**

Sirius Black stood in the rubble of what was left of the parlor room. He gripped his wand tightly, a thick layer of dust coating his tense shoulders. "You lot should've waited for _my_ orders." The quiet hardness behind his remark was the calm before the storm.

The newest recruits cringed away from the stony-faced Head Auror, knowing full well of what was to come.

Quick footsteps that crumbled the debris beneath them announced the arrival of one bruised up James Potter, "Give them a break, Sirius. They're my responsibility. These were the last of the Death Eaters, and I thought I'd take your advice and show them some real action. They stayed out of our way well enough." James shook out his hair, ridding it of some bits of plaster, "But, if you still want to yell at someone, yell at me."

Sirius gave his best friend a once over, shaking his head at the state he was in, " _Oh_ , I'm sure Lily will have some words for you. Go get yourself checked out by the healers." There was a bite behind his words that caused the two friends to exchange calculating looks.

They rarely ever fought as partners, but when Alastor Moody retired as H.A. and gave the position to Sirius, _well_ , things changed. Sirius now worked alone and took on the most grueling missions, arguing it was fair given that he had 'no one at home to mourn him if he died.' James thought the idea was mental, and the matter elevated when Sirius assigned him to train recruits and deal with only second level cases. _A month_ they ignored each other. In the end, Lily and Remus had no other choice but to confiscate their wands and lock them in a room together to work it out.

Today, the dynamic was back to normal, and both men had learned to draw better lines between their work and home lives.

"We got them, Sirius." James pushed proudly, placing a hand on Sirius's shoulder, wincing as he did so from the large gash in his side from an ugly hex.

Grey eyes narrowed reluctantly, "We _knew_ the Carrows tortured their victims for as long as possible. If the newbies hadn't apparated so close, they wouldn't have heard us and the Greengrass family would still be alive."

There was a nervous clearing of the throat, "Excuse me?"

Two heads snapped to a massively built recruit. The young man took a step back at the ferociousness, and James's usual patience snapped, "What the bloody hell is it?!"

As a proper frightened group, they pointed past Sirius, towards the dewy grass clearing where the debris did not touch.

Sirius's hateful glare landed on a young girl staring fixedly at her bloodied hands. His expression dropped immediately, and he uttered an explicit word.

The child, wearing nothing but a white nightgown that dusted the sticky blades of grass, cast her doll eyes up to him. "Are you in charge, sir?" Whispering the question, a sudden gust of wind carried the high soprano voice far away from the ears of the average wizard.

Sirius and James glanced at each other, taken aback by the girl's strength and made their way to her; all thoughts of fighting were forgotten.

Sirius knelt to the small creature. He was accustomed to children - what, with being Harry Potter's godfather and loving his cousin's daughter, Nymphadora, to pieces. Yet, the little girl before him was the most innocent thing he had ever seen. It took him a solid second to put up a wall from his Auror persona, the man he sometimes didn't even recognize, to prevent from frightening her.

"I'm the Head Auror. Sirius Black at your service." He held out his hand, and she hesitated, biting her lip at the rusty colored splatters of blood on her palm. "Would you like for me to clean them?"

"Yes, please." She presented her outstretched hands that shook only slightly, and Sirius took another wondering gaze up to James who was standing jaw slacked.

Sirius never dealt with young victims on the job. His line of work focused on level one individuals and groups who thankfully knew that children alongside them would only pose as a complication. He had, however, reviewed nightmarish cases where the kids left alive became shells of empty personalities or were found so distraught that they had to be put under powerful Calming Draughts. Sirius guessed he was lucky in that regard.

He tergeo-ed the dainty hands twice. "There you go, sweetheart. Are you hurt?" In his mind, Sirius was already planning to get her to St. Mungo's and contacting Child Services.

A subtle frown appeared on her pale face at the form of endearment, and then she shook her head with certainty. "No, sir."

Sirius studied her, but she was telling the truth. His well-developed animagus skills came in handy more often than not when spotting out liars. "Could you tell me your name?"

James knelt besides him, "Please."

The little girl's bright brown eyes darted from James and back to Sirius, "I'm Daphne Greengrass." Her breathy voice cracked, and she jolted in surprise that it had.

Sirius had a light-bulb moment. His face fell in sympathy, and he berated himself for not making the obvious connection sooner. Daphne was a pureblood. She was raised to be extraordinarily well-mannered and to hide her emotions from an early age. He understood perfectly, for he was taught the same principles, but that didn't mean he agreed with them one bit. Sirius could only imagine how much pain she was burrowing away right there and then; her house was in ruins, and her family was dead, yet she was still standing.

Daphne took a steady breath before she rooted him to the spot with her determined gaze, "Thank you for catching those _monsters_ , Mr. Black. They hurt - _hurt_ Stori." A lone tear escaped when she blinked, and her fingers darted up to wipe it away before it could even slide down to her cheek.

Throat tight, moved by the girl's bravery, Sirius gave her an encouraging look, "You can cry, Daphne."

"Ladies are not supposed to cry in the presence of gentlemen," Daphne told them almost snobbishly, her concealed sadness taking a momentary backseat while her mind returned to familiarity. Sirius reckoned it was a phrase she'd probably been forced to memorize after an unfortunate mishap in public when she'd been younger.

She tucked a caramel curl behind her ear as she found the need to explain herself further, "It's not proper, and men care of such things."

"I certainly don't care, do you, James?" Sirius tilted his head, trying to get the poor, sweet creature to trust him.

"Not one bit." James shook his head back and forth to make his point.

Daphne's brows pulled together, and her voice was laced with a wobbling uncertainty, "You won't get angry?"

Her parents had done a number on her, he thought, disgust coursing through him. "Of course not." Sirius repeated his earlier statement with what he hoped was a comforting tone and the slightest tweak, "You may cry, Daphne."

As suddenly as if he'd cast a spell, her lower lip trembled and the tears in her eyes overflowed like rivers down her cheeks as she began to weep.

Sirius courteously spared her a long moment before he took her into his arms and stood up. The sight and sound of her suffering broke his heart. After such a demanding day, it was too much: her pain and his surprising eagerness to help.

He mind-linked James, " _Can you take her to St. Mungo's? Get her checked out and see if there are any other relatives listed in her file. Child Services opens late, and I need to get a report out on this case."_

" _No problem, mate."_ James opened his arms, his eyes taking on that fatherly worry he'd developed over the years with his two children.

A guarded expression, masking his inner turmoil, Sirius handed the girl over with a courteous excuse and quickly took his leave.

If he had time, he would've gladly given it to her and the many other things - experiences he neglected in his life. However, the truth of the matter was that _he,_ Sirius Black, was Head Auror - no one else. He was in charge of commanding and keeping an extremely skilled team, people he had grown to care for, alive and functioning. The reputation and position he held, Sirius credited to the focus and hours he put into his work. There could be no distractions for him.


	2. The Godmother

**Disclaimer: I own** **nothing**

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 **Chapter 2**

 _The Godmother_

 **March 1988**

Timothy Devinsher, the Ministry of Magic's Level Two receptionist, blinked at the blonde haired woman in front of him.

Her sharp grey eyes narrowed with impatience, and he shot out of his chair. "I'll go see if Mr. Black is available."

He gulped, Auror Black was never free and respectfully put, insane, but _that_ woman could turn molten lava into ice. It was a lose-lose situation, so he bit back his nervousness and knocked on the heavy wooden door with the golden Head Auror plate shining proudly on its varnished surface.

"Mr. Black, sir? Mrs. Malfoy is here to speak with you. Says it's urgent." He said this all very fast, but he always addressed the higher ranking Aurors so, and he hadn't been fired yet.

Sirius glanced up with a raised brow and threw his quill across the room, splattering the marble floor with the ink remnants, "Urgent my - show her in, Tim."

Timothy turned to leave and jumped - the woman in question was standing right behind him. Typical, screw up moment on his part. Smirking, the impeccably dressed witch waltzed past him into the room and slammed the door in his face.

Sirius begrudgingly pulled his dragon-hide clad feet off the maple desk as his second least favorite cousin entered his private office. "What do you want, Narcissa?"

The woman's fists clenched and unclenched, her face twisted as though she slapped, "You dare use that lax tone with me? We helped you with that Horcrux hunt of yours and nearly died. Or have you forgotten, cousin of mine?"

She did have a point, albeit, the so-called 'help' had been Malfoy's penance for being a 'reformed' Death Eater in the first place, but he let it slide.

Sirius's stringent expression softened, he sighed heavily and transfigured a chair for her to take a seat in, "What can I do for you, Cissa?"

Narcissa folded her hands in her lap and seemed to be testing out the words she was about to speak, "As you may know, my goddaughter, Daphne Greengrass, is now in our care - "

Sirius leaned forward, not caring that he had interrupted, "How is she?" He'd found the girl sensible and unexpectedly kind for a pureblood. He was also hopeful that his cousin would be an improved influence over the child, for even Sirius had to admit that Narcissa was a decent mother.

The woman bristled, then her sculpted brow rose slightly, and she almost smiled, "She is doing as well as can be expected. Hardly eats anything, terrible nightmares and keeps her tears bottled up. She does come out of her room though and still gets up to mischief with Draco."

Sirius folded his arms over his uniform jacket, "You have to tell her that it's okay to show emotion. Perhaps it will help with her grief."

Narcissa's brows tugged in confusion, "Hm?"

"Oh, come on Cissa, you remember how loud your mum would yell if you didn't have the sun shining up your ass all day long. Tell Daphne that no one will judge her if she cries." His words were laced with certainty and softness.

"Very well." She disguised her surprise over her cousin's advice as she opened her purse and pulled out a slip of paper. "I would appreciate it if you could do background checks on the following wizards." She levitated the two-person list over to him.

Sirius bent forward on his desk and glanced at the names. He sneered, then shot her a questioning stare, "What do you want with them?"

Narcissa adjusted the emerald snake clip holding her smooth hair up, "In Victoria and Quinton's Will, Lucius and I were not only given guardianship over their daughter but also instructed to arrange a betrothal between Daphne and a pureblood wizard."

She held a stern hand up to prevent him from speaking and quickly gave an explanation to the judgmental question she knew Sirius would've barked out, "The request was _spelled_ to be carried out, so there is no way past it. We must find her a suitable match in two weeks, or they'll strip her magic away." Fidgeting with her wedding ring, a true saddening pity contorted her usual mask of indifference before she pointed to the list, "Those are Daphne's best candidates." _Reformed Death Eaters._

Sirius stood up, knocking his leather chair down in the process. "No, absolutely not." He walked over to the sunlit window and pulled at the curtain while the note floated into his grasp. Without sparing the heinous thing another glance, Sirius non-verbally vanished it. "There _must_ be someone else."

A desperate, "No one," held an unnoticed edge of lies that they were both inwardly aware of.

"Draco?"

Narcissa became torn, her voice cracked unseemly, "I - I can't do that to -" Her words dropped off.

"Of course, I understand, Cissy." Sirius sighed heavily and leaned on the window sill in contemplation. He had not called her by that nickname in a very long time, and his slip of control made Narcissa look away in shame.

After a tense minute, in which neither of them uttered a word, Sirius cleared his throat and stood his ground, "Get me every document you have on this as soon as possible. Can I presume that you've already made Miss Greengrass sign her part of the betrothal contract?" He paused, his stern business facade dropping for a beat, "Does she even know, Cissy?"

Narcissa's reply was automatic and unsteady, "Daphne knows, and yes, she has signed. She's a very understanding girl, not surprising given her upbringing. - Are you going try to find a way -"

The withering look she received caused her mouth to close and her grey eyes to widen as she remembered his use of formality with the girl's name. Narcissa moved sideways to face him.

Sirius, however, turned his back to her, "Fetch me the documents and the contract. - "

"Sirius - you don't - "

Something crackled in the dynamic between them then. Narcissa felt it, shuffled to stand and grasped the back of her chair as a feeble barrier. She'd been allowed leniency she realized with her barging in, addressing him, and repetitive interrupting. Although Sirius was her cousin, he was also the Head of her old House, Head Auror, and had done plenty for her and her family that her childish behavior was unwarranted and disrespectful. Though, she often forgot because of appearances sake that Sirius was not the man her cruel father or his indifferent one had been.

Sirius observed the woman's submissive stance and inwardly cursed their traumatic childhood. He walked over and straightened his fallen chair, "Could you willingly pair your goddaughter off with someone like our fathers for life?"

Watery grey eyes, met patient grey ones, "Never."

Sirius straightened the lapels of his Auror's uniform as he sat down and moved to tidy up a scattered mount of papers on his desk. "Then it's simple, Narcissa. Bring me what I've asked and allow me a week to make a decision."

Narcissa, nodding pitifully, opened her purse and pulled out a stack of papers. As she went to place them in front of him, her guard lowered by the interaction, Sirius grabbed her roughly by the wrist.

"Did you plan _this_?" He spoke through clenched teeth, his voice threateningly low, an almost growl.

Narcissa cried out in surprise and tried to pull away from his grasp, but his hold was too strong. She ducked her head to avoid his raging stare, "No - I thought of it -" His fingers tightened and she hurriedly continued, "Daphne spoke highly of you when she first -"

"The girl was traumatized, Narcissa! I did what anyone else would do for a child that had just lost everything!" He snarled out, and the papers in her grasp fell covering the desk, but they were spared no attention.

"You made a traumatized pureblood little girl feel safe. Should have thought twice if you didn't want to make an impression over her." Narcissa bit her tongue, and a metallic taste spread in her mouth.

Sirius's grip fell, his eyes becoming severe given the truth, "Get out."

"Forgive me, cousin. I am begging you, no one else - "

"Did I say I wouldn't go through with it?" Sirius regarded her coolly, "I have one condition, however."

"Anything."

Sirius unclenched his right hand where his Head of House ring with the Black Family crest rested ostentatiously around his middle finger, "You must put aside your differences and make amends with Andromeda." He paused, "Do we have a deal, _Cissa_?"

Narcissa swallowed down her pride, "Yes, Sirius." Merlin knew her goddaughter was worth it. "You're a good man."


	3. Found Here

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

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 **Chapter 3**

 _Found Here_

 **March 1988**

Sirius stepped into the Potter's familiar living room, "I've done something, and need to get it off my chest before I break -" the silver rimmed glasses he'd bought a few months ago after he caught himself squinting at case files, fell to the floor and crunched beneath the heel of his boot. His pounding headache doubled his annoyance, "Fucking hell!"

"Sirius!" Lily admonished, shutting the book she'd started with a thud and jumping up from her winged-back armchair to grab the swaying briefcase that was cutting into his pointer finger. It was no shock to see Sirius come through her and James's floo so late; he was always there in his free time. Lily didn't even know why he'd bought a second residence in London when he had a perfectly good bed and was guaranteed breakfast and cuddles from his niece and nephew in the morning if he crashed over at their place.

His gaze swept around the room, then landed back onto her. It was well past midnight, he was surprised Lily was still up, but he wasn't so tired that he couldn't sense the two sleeping children upstairs or hear James popping open a beer in the kitchen. "You said I couldn't curse with the kids around. Are they hiding, Lils?" He dropped the full stack of files in his arms unceremoniously onto the coffee table.

She swatted his shoulder, "Oh, _hush_ , you. It's become a force of habit for me by now." Her green eyes took in his disheveled hair and crinkled uniform. Lily sighed, Sirius overworked himself too much for her liking, "I'm going to fix you up a plate."

"- No, Lils -"

Lily shook her head, her short red hair brushing against her purple cardigan covered shoulders, "You're tired, and I know you never eat when you're under stress, so you must be starving."

As James waltzed in, he handed Lily one of the beer bottles in his grasp, and she pecked his cheek in return. "Honestly, mate, you've got to stop fighting with her over food. If it doesn't work for Harry and Daisy, it won't work for you. They're far cuter."

James passed him a beer and spread out on the auburn sofa, his fingers reaching up to adjust his square-rimmed glasses. "Now spill, it's been too long since you've done something, Pads. Should I floo Moony? Will he get a kick out of this?"

Sirius began to pace, "No, he'll be disappointed and I can't take that tonight. I'll tell him tomorrow once I've slept on it and before the _Daily Prophet_ gets the issue out."

Elbows on knees, hands clasped loosely, James frowned as his brown eyes followed his best friend's purposeful walk, "Sirius, you're worrying me. What happened?"

Lily hurried into the room with a plate full of steaming Chinese takeout. She carefully closed the door, uttered a silencing charm and took a seat. "You know you can tell us anything, Sirius. Maybe it'll help if you start from the beginning."

Sirius sat opposite them and ran his hands through his hair in building vexation. The tone of his voice, heavy, he did as Lily suggested, "Prongs, you remember that Greengrass girl from last month?" He ignored the plate of food; his appetite suddenly vanished.

James nodded, confusion clear on his face, "Sure," he glanced at his wife, "I brought her to St. Mungo's and you checked her vitals."

Lily's face brightened, "Oh, Daphne? She was a curious thing, the dear. Asked about everything, but did so, so quietly that I had to strain to hear her. I think she was trying to distract herself in the only nice way she knew how to in public." Her hand reached for James's. "I saw her little sister regularly because of her blood curse. _Terrible_ what happened. At least Daphne got to go home with people she knew, even if it was the Malfoys." She shook her sadness away and regarded Sirius's troubled aura, "Is she alright?"

Sirius stared at his outstretched hands, "Her rotten parents, Merlin rest their fucking souls, left instructions for my cousin to organize a betrothal agreement for the lass. Their conditions were stupidly specific and extremely well cast." His fists clenched, "For the last two hours I've been trying to undo the spells, but they used blood magic, the dirty snakes."

James took a swig of beer, "What are the conditions?" He wasn't yet able to tell where Sirius was going with the girl's story, but he could feel the anxiety rolling off him, so he figured it was best to let him beat around the bush.

Sirius sorted through the papers on the table before finding the section within the Greengrass Will where Daphne's future was decided for her, "The wizard must belong to one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, and a formal, binding contract must be signed by the end of next week. If these terms aren't met, Daphne's magical core will be removed, and her memory will be stripped of our world."

Lily's gasped sharply, "Were they made out of tin? How could they do this to their child?"

James put a comforting arm around her, a rare spark of hatred flashing in his eyes, "These people would do anything to preserve their blood status, Lily. Insane, doesn't even begin to cover it."

Her worry building, Lily caught Sirius's attention, "Has it already been decided what's going to happen to Daphne? Who is she paired with?"

Sirius exhaled at once, his whole body was tense, "Yes, Miss Greengrass will be betrothed to a respectable, pureblood wizard belonging to the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

James harrumphed loudly, though he became intrigued, "I doubted there were any left. Who's the bastard your snobby cousin chose?" In James's defense, his parents were ostracized from the 'purest of pure' community which they had, for some time, already stubbornly avoided; and James readily distanced himself even further by adopting most of Lily's muggle-born traditions. James was out of the loop, so to say, while Sirius, well - he liked to rial up the pureblood bigoted ninnies as he watched them try to get back into his good graces.

Sirius's gaze dropped, and his hands clasped tightly together, but his silence alone was enough for the realization to dawn on them.

James choked on his beer and began to cough up a fit. "No! I don't believe it! Why in Godric's name would you condemn yourself to such a thing, Padfoot!?" He jumped up, his beer spaying heavy drops on the legal documents and Lily swiftly placed them on the floor to prevent a catastrophe from happening.

"Who else is there!?" Sirius growled out, his foot tapping up a storm as he tried to make James see his reasoning, "Everyone's in Azkaban, mentally disturbed or already taken."

"She's the same age as Harry," James said in monotone perceptiveness, dropping back to the sofa.

Sirius looked sick, "Don't you think I know that?" He whispered out. "Don't you think I feel shitty enough as it is already? I spent the entire day thinking about this mess, and I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not."

"I think you're making the right choice, Sirius." A soft, but powerful voice spoke up. Lily was _smiling_.

Sirius blinked as though his mind couldn't process what she'd just said, and James just stared at his wife before, "Are you drunk?"

" _No_ , you absolute toerag." Lily flicked his forehead, and directed her focus onto her suffering friend, "It is all _quite_ sudden. If I didn't know about this world and its traditions, I would think you were pulling one on me - but there are more pros than cons."

"Are there?' Sirius fired back at her. "Cause I've made a list if you'd care to see - "

Lily shushed him. She was a bit tipsy, sure, but that didn't mean she wasn't capable of comforting a friend, "Yes, there are. Daphne won't go to a muggle orphanage, and she'll be in safe hands with you, Sirius. Now, the only time sensitive thing is signing the contract. After that, and this is the best part - you're completely free to focus on your work because Daphne is young and -" She paused and smirked, "no more having to find annoying gala dates weeks in advance because you _technically_ won't be single."

Sirius sat back folding his arms and almost hesitantly, as if he didn't want to jinx anything, nodded, "You're right." He didn't add his usual witty remark; instead, he nervously ran his fingers through his hair before a small smile pulled at his lips, "Bloody hell, no more witches throwing themselves at me."

"We can only hope for that, Padfoot." James chuckled, his wife assuaged his previous displeasure.

A pleased grin spread on Lily's face; her efforts were delivering their desired effect, "It's great because, and I say this with no offense to you, Sirius, you're not the marrying type. With the hours you work, you haven't had a steady girlfriend since - I don't even remember. But hopefully, you'll be ready to commit to Daphne when she comes of age, rather than catching bad guys. And I'll get some peace of mind knowing that there'll be someone else looking out for you along with me."

Nodding along, but slightly knackered himself, James eagerly gave his own advice, "Before that though, you might want to bring Daphne around here so that she doesn't end up with a stick up her arse. Better yet, she might get sorted into Gryffindor. I'd love to see old Lucy's face if that happened."

"James! He can't groom his future wife!" Lily hit the back of his head and James yelped, grabbing at his hair with a disgruntled look.

Lily's eyes narrowed, though her threat was an empty one. She tucked her hair behind her ear and gained a thoughtful expression, "I know Narcissa has a boy Harry's age. Perhaps I could organize something between them so that Daphne can get to know us."

"What about the Weasleys? Should we include the whole gang, Lily? Make things less awkward?" James added hopefully.

Gently frowning at first, an admiring smile appeared on Lily's flushed face a second later, "That's a great idea, Jamie, but they are a rowdy bunch. Might be a much. We don't want to scare the girl off from the beginning."

Sirius, overwhelmed by the support he was receiving from the two people whose opinions he valued above everyone else's, marveled at how lucky he was. He cleared his throat, "You two are the best, have I mentioned that?"

James and Lily, having been deeply immersed in their whimsical, proper intentioned planning, turned their attention onto him with matching grins.

"We're family, mate. You can't get rid of us - no matter what you do."

Lily teared up, making her green eyes gleam in the dim lit room. She hurried over to Sirius and gave him a warm hug which he returned gladly. "James's right. We love you, Padfoot. Everything will be alright, you'll see." She straightened and levitated the forgotten plate of food over to him, "Now eat, you silly dog. Don't think you get to leave here on an empty stomach."

James burst out laughing, and Sirius winked towards the maternal witch as he grabbed the hovering fork, "Wouldn't dream of it, Mrs. Potter."

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 **Little Note: I just started writing this story, so I apologize that I don't have more chapters to upload all at once for you guys. If you've enjoyed thus far, you'll have to be patient with me going forward.**

 **Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think.**


	4. All is Not Lost

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

 _All is Not Lost_

 **March 1988**

 _Daphne's bare feet numbed from the frigid marble as she ran after her father. Astoria was crying in her mother's arms when a violet streak rumbled the parlor and burning smoke whirled around them. Daphne backed away, her hands covering her mouth and nose until she could breathe again. There was a hysterical shout to duck and then a sickening scream. She stumbled to the ground as dark red blood - Daphne didn't kid herself, flooded from the doorway of the clouded room. Crawling out of it's reach, her spine came in contact with a hard surface and her hands unwillingly dipped into the still warm, sticky liquid as she jumped up. It was only the front door. Daphne's head spun back upon registering Astoria's whimpering pleas for help, making her edge forward in preparation to run to her, but a second later the killing curse was yelled and she bit her tongue hard to stifle a scream. Her sister was dead._

"Mum, she's having nightmares _again_." Draco Malfoy, dressed in his silver pajamas, pointed at the withering girl hidden partially between the cloud-like bed covers as his other hand hid a rather large yawn.

Narcissa tugged at her silk nightgown as she sat down, worry etched on her porcelain face. With a gentle touch, her fingers brushed over the young girl's pale forehead, "Daphne - come on, sweet doll, wake up."

Light brown eyes ingrained with fear opened wide and then snapped closed, tears skimming along full lashes. A broken whisper, "Place a silencing charm on my room - I have woken you all for the fifth time now."

Narcissa instantly wrapped her arms around her goddaughter's shoulders and made a note to owl Severus to brew another batch of Dreamless Sleep. "Shh. Do not think of such a thing, Daphne. We were already up."

Draco eyed the hugging pair tiredly, "I was asleep until you started screaming."

" _Draco,_ " Lucius warned from the doorway.

Daphne turned to face her friend, "Can you forgive me, Drake?" Her shaking fingers fluttered over the strands of hair that had escaped from her loose braid during the night.

The blond boy's grey eyes rolled to the stars and back, "Don't I always?"

"You do." Daphne smiled haughtily, the back of her hand brushing over her cheek to sweep her tiredness away and the memory along with it. "You have no other choice."

Draco grumbled out a remark when his mother laughed at his expense.

A soft pop announced the presence of Narcissa's house elf. Daphne glanced at the creature. Was she expected to manage the Greengrass elves now given the circumstances? Technically, she wouldn't be Lady Greengrass until she was of age, so she supposed that everything was under the Malfoy's jurisdiction at present anyways. It was a thought that brought her relief, for she was only eight years old and she wouldn't know what to do with all the responsibility.

"Good morning, Mistress. An owl came early for you, carrying these." The elder female elf handed her godmother a wax sealed letter and a sweet white bouquet of gardenias, chrysanthemums and a few sprigs of lilac.

Daphne's gaze lingered curiously on the flowers. Their meaning of innocence and new beginnings not going unnoticed by her; she learned the symbolic interpretation of flowers and what each color represented from an early age. It was a bit silly, Daphne thought, as some flowers meant rejection, and why anyone would send them in the first place was beyond her.

"Lucius! He - he signed!" Narcissa hurried over to her husband, the look of rapture on her face accentuating her beauty, and she passed him the letter before remembering the bouquet in her grasp.

"These," She held the gold paper wrapped stems out for Daphne to take, "are for you, my dear."

Daphne sat up, hope coursing through her. Her fingers hovered over the delicate velvet textured petals, and her eyes scanned for any hint of who had sent them. Could it be, that after all her godparent's efforts and a month long wait, someone worthy of her godmother's approval had agreed to be her betrothed?

She watched her godfather take his leave, letter in hand, the faintest grimace-like smile on his lips.

Draco folded his arms, the air of impatience around him clear and testing enough to merit a frown, "Mother, what -"

It was notable that for once, and naturally so, Daphne's impatience rivaled his, "Cissy, did someone - agree -" She shook her head and rephrased her question, "Could you please tell me who sent the flowers?"

Narcissa's eyes widened marginally, and she reached to grasp the girl's hand, "Oh, you poor thing. I would've told you days ago, but I wanted to be sure." She paused for effect, "You've been arranged to marry Sirius Black."

Daphne raised the flowers to her nose to hide her blushing cheeks. The whole situation had been the last thing on Daphne's mind in the topsy-turvy past couple of weeks she'd endured. Though, she had been raised with the idea of arranged marriages; the finality of the betrothal did not frighten her, and she was delighted in that moment.

Other adult wizards she'd come in contact with barely ever acknowledge her presence - to them, she was just a decorative object, a doll. And if by the rare occurrence they decided to strike up a conversation, Daphne was often left with an uncomfortable feeling from their demanding, ill-intentioned charm and lingering touches.

Sirius Black, however, was the definition of a perfect gentleman, at least in her mind he was. For although she'd been distraught during their first interaction, Daphne remembered how genuinely kind and selfless he had been.

"How did you manage it, godmother?" As soon as the words were out in the open, panic sparked within her when an idea popped into her head, "You - you didn't force your cousin into signing or guilt trip him, did you?" Daphne loved her godmother, but the woman nearly always got what she wanted one way or another. It was a smart trait she'd picked up on and tried out in practice, but even she knew that a resentful, bitter filled husband would only bring misery - her parent's marriage had been a prime example of a failed pairing.

Narcissa laughed, she was fond of Daphne's wittingly keen mind too much to dare berate her for such bluntness. Her lips pulled into a rueful smirk, her voice thick, "That man couldn't be forced into doing anything, my sweet."

Daphne's eyes sparkled with gratitude and relief, "So, what happens now?"

"I go back to sleep, and you don't wake me up, Daph." Draco gave her a weighty look and shuffled out the door. "You're not getting married yet."


	5. Judgment Day

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

 _Judgment Day_

 **July 1990**

"Hi, I'm Harry. Harry Potter." The messy black haired boy stuck his hand out, and Draco peered at it for only a beat as he decided it would be rude not to shake. He was after all a guest in this boy's home and was supposed to be on his best behavior for he had the Malfoy name to uphold.

"Draco Malfoy." He said proudly, then stepped aside to allow Daphne to make her own introduction.

It had taken two whole years for their two worlds to collide finally. Of course, both parties intended to meet far sooner, and scattered plans were made with that desire in mind, but it seemed that some higher power had deemed it, so their schedules clashed every single time - except for today.

Or so Daphne had thought because while her friend introduced himself to the Potter heir, she was carefully scanning the small group of people for a certain someone. It was after all her curiosity which had trumped her reluctance that morning and was what had willed her through the floo. Now, she dispiritedly realized that nowhere in Lily Potter's invitation for tea, had it mentioned that Sirius Black would be present. But was it so silly of her to think that since they were his friends and she was his betrothed, it went without saying that the middleman would be there?

Draco cleared his throat, successfully pulling Daphne from her thoughts just as it was her turn.

"Hello, Harry. I'm Daphne Greengrass." Her smile widened when he held out his hand for her as well. "Glad to finally meet you."

"How long has it taken our mum's?" Harry glanced to Draco with a sly smirk as he said it.

Draco returned the expression, pleasantly surprised by Harry's charm. Maybe he could get along with this boy, "Far too much time. I don't even care if they get offended; it's embarrassing."

They laughed together, and Daphne found that the annoyance she'd begrudgingly expected to feel towards the Potter lad, brought on by her godfather's still prejudiced mind, was not there. It made her guard drop a fraction so that she could enjoy herself more.

She gladly shook Harry's hand, "I've heard a great deal about you." Her gaze fell onto Nymphadora Tonks who, ever since Andromeda and Narcissa had become close sisters once more, had taken to visiting Malfoy Manor on occasion. At first, it had been difficult to get used to such a quirky personality, especially for Daphne, who hadn't been in face to face contact with anyone, save the Malfoys, since her family's funeral. However, her and Draco had quickly made friends with the kind-hearted teenager when they realized she also had a streak of trickery.

Harry lead them through Potter Manor and into a cozy parlor room, "Likewise, and all good things."

Draco nodded his agreement, "It's the Hufflepuff in her."

They took a quick glance at the older girl who was saying goodbye to a red-headed lad.

Daphne threatened to guess it was Charlie Weasley by how close they were standing and - oh, they were now kissing. How scandalous, Daphne thought with a small raise of a brow. Were the days when people frowned upon public displays of affection long gone? How did Andromeda have absolutely no bother with Charlie pawing at her daughter? They weren't married. Were they engaged? She had so many questions yet realized she couldn't care less what the answers to any of them were. Affection was so rare among the couple's she had seen that she was glad Dora seemed happy.

"Oh, that's wasn't my only source." Harry eyed a thoughtful Daphne, and his comical expression turned into one of sympathy, "Sirius sends his regards. He wanted to be here, but he's the Head Auror, you know. So he's always super busy."

Daphne's expression lightened marginally, "Thank you for telling me, Harry. I would never hold what -"

Draco interrupted her with a frown, "Surely he could've cleared his schedule for a few hours."

"There was an emergency, that's why my dad isn't here either." Harry's tone wasn't sharp with an offense, like Daphne would have expected it to be after Draco's backhanded insult, but filled with genuine regret that made Draco's resent vanish completely.

"Whatever Mr. Black's reason for not being here today is, it's none of our business." She threw a non-threatening glare towards her friend, and he rolled his eyes.

"Already taking his side, how loyal of you, Daph." Draco drawled quietly and took the seat next to her on the red leather sofa.

Harry watched on in amusement when Daphne's hands clasped and her brows furrowed, "Don't you judge me. You know I have no other choice."

"Say's the girl who kept all his letters." Draco exchanged a chuckled with Harry.

Daphne's cheeks reddened slightly, and she avoided their 'knowing' stares as she took a calming breath. Her voice was successfully void of the exasperation she felt, "They were birthday cards. Which I'm sure Mr. Black's assistant kindly sent anyways and was why I didn't keep them."

Harry's lips pulled up, "Sirius doesn't have an assistant. He's terrible at working with others."

"Don't go giving her hope, now. She'll be up the whole night." Draco implored sarcastically, leaning forward, quickly on the road to becoming thick as thieves with Harry.

Daphne's face turned impassive at her friends continued mocking, and she stood up, fiddling with her lavender dress so she wouldn't be encouraged to do something foolish.

She and Draco teased each other often, it wasn't new, but they only ever did so in private. "Draco, you would do well to remember where we are next time you decide to make up such lies." He had embarrassed her in front of their host; it was uncalled for and it stung. Who was taking who's side now? "Besides, you, more than any soul, know that the betrothal has been the last thing on my mind."

Draco looked struck, as though he hadn't realized what he'd said until that moment. He guiltily ran his hand through his hair, "It'll never happen again. Forgive me, Daphne."

"Always do." She sighed disdainfully. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Walking around the couch, she was happy to be away from the blond haired boy if only for a moment.

Daisy Potter peeked out from behind her mother's chair leg to catch a glimpse of the older girl. Being the five-year-old that she was, Daisy's attention was captured by the pretty sparkling flower pin in the stranger's braided hair.

Daphne spotted the little dark red headed girl and gently waved, "Hello, who might you be?"

"Huh? Oh! This is Daisy," Lily introduced, her incredulous attention having previously been on Narcissa complaining halfheartedly about - her husband, "pay her no attention, Daphne, she's terribly shy with strangers." Lily turned around and rid her daughter from the hiding place by setting Daisy near her feet. The little girl gave a pout and made a move to go back to the safety she'd found away from the guest's view, but Lily held her quick. Funnily enough, Daisy hadn't yet noticed that all eyes were on her.

Daphne smiled sweetly at the cute child. "Your dress is stunning." She knelt, her knees meeting the plush rug, and she tilted her head as she motioned to the moving print, "But whatever are those flying around it?"

Daisy glanced down, and removed her thumb from her mouth, "Motorcycles. Uncle Padfoot got it for me."

Daphne, surely having thought she misheard the name - for what kind of name was that studied the zooming object instead, her lower lip caught between her teeth in confusion. She had no experience with muggle items. Daphne had only observed the other world from a distance and for very short periods. Compared to her little sister, who had been curious about what went on past the wards of Greengrass Manor, Daphne's attention was caught by all the marvelous things waiting to be discovered in their world. Magic was captivating. She didn't know how muggles functioned without it. "What's a motorcycle?"

It was Daisy's turn to study her as though she'd asked if the sky was blue, but then her brows furrowed in what could only be considered contemplative thought for a five-year-old. Her shyness forgotten, "It's kind of a bicycle and a car. - In one."

Daphne knew what those were. Her sister used to complain over the gritty floo system and grumble as to why they couldn't use a car to get around. There was also Astoria's fifth birthday when she had set her sights on a muggle bike. At the time, Daphne had raised her nose to the ink smudged drawing and called it a silly looking invention, not even bothering to ask where Astoria had learned of it.

A pang of sadness went through Daphne at the thought of her little sister. What wouldn't she give to see Astoria happily riding a bike at that very moment? She hid her grief well now given the length of time that had passed and elaborated on Daisy's explanation. "So it's used for transportation."

Daisy nodded, and looking proud of providing Daphne with the information, a secretive smile appeared on her lips, "It can fly, too."

Daphne's brows rose, "Is that so? Like a broom?"

"Faster than a broom. Higher too." Harry butted in from across the room, his eyes gleaming from the first-hand experience.

A spark of interest, laced with disbelief, formed on Draco's face. "I thought the only thing better than a broom was a dragon."

Harry grinned giddy, "Well, nothing can beat a dragon. Have you seen one, Drake?"

"Yes, in Romania. Father took me to the biggest reserve there, and I got to see a Ukrainian Ironbelly and a Romanian Longhorn."

"That's so cool!" Harry glanced eagerly around the room before his eyes landed on a pink haired Dora who, now alone, was writing in a notebook with some glittery muggle contraption, "Dora, did you hear that! Your cuz rode a dragon!"

The older girl stood up and dusted off her knees before coming over to them. Daphne's nose scrunched. The blue jeans Dora usually wore looked terribly uncomfortable, and Daphne glanced down at her delicate dress debating if her friend's style was the newest fashion rage at Hogwarts or just in the muggle world. She hopped it was the latter.

"Woah? Charlie wants to study dragons in Romania. You should've mentioned it when he was here."

Daphne's brow rose when she suspected Draco was about to fabricate what she was sure to be a persuasive lie on expertly riding some dangerous reptile. Usually, she wouldn't have cared, lying was the norm among their circle, but they were supposed to be on their best behavior, and well, she was quite taken with the friendly and amusing new people.

But Draco surprised her by telling the truth, "I just saw them. But the Romanian Longhorn -"

"Mummy said you're Padfoot's finance." Daisy snapped Daphne's flabbergasted attention away.

"Excuse me?" Daphne blinked as she folded her legs beneath her.

Daisy giggled and made room for Dora to sit on the small fluffy rug, "They said you knew, poor thing."

Dora snorted, "Daisy if you listen in on other people's conversations," the little girl turned a deep red, "make sure you listen well, so you don't confuse anyone when you gossip." She shook her head and took it upon herself to clear up the confusion, "She means fiance, not finance. Though -" There was a chuckle.

Daphne smirked and nudged the older girl for her unsaid words. "To answer you, Daisy - yes, I'm Sirius's fiance." It was strange to say both his name and their relation to one another herself, but she did, and Merlin didn't rise from the grave to strike her with a lightning bolt. "So can I guess that Padfoot is your nickname for Mr. Black?" No. She couldn't say it.

"Mr. - oh, Siri! Yeah." Daisy's head bobbed repeatedly.

Dora sighed in mirth once more and leaned forward so that only they would hear her whisper, "I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you this, but we're going to be family one day, so it seems silly to keep it from you. Sirius is an animagus. Padfoot is his counterpart's nickname."

Daphne's eyes widened. Only the most skilled witches and wizards could become animagi for the process was an arduous one. "Impressive. What animal may I ask?"

"Guess," Dora smirked and threatened a glance at her mother who was in a deep conversation over something with her aunt and Lily. The sight was a strange one - the three witches were utterly different from one other, yet here they were, chatting animatedly as if they had been old school friends.

"He's a doggy." Daisy answered eagerly with a small clap and a "woof."

"Circe damn it, Daisy. I meant for Daphne to - you know what, never mind." Her hair flashed a neon orange, and she harrumphed, "Sirius is a dog animagus. Dog's have padded paws - aka, Padfoot. There."

"Damn' is a bad word, Dora. What would mummy and Andy do if they heard that come out of your mouth?" Daisy tried to look threatening.

"Oh my, you are quite the little snake in the making aren't you?" Daphne teased fondly and chuckled when the little girl's face soured.

Dora patted the horrified kid's back, "I think Harry's more a snake than she is. Daisy's all bark and no bite; Harry can and will cut you."

"Especially in Quidditch, I bet. That's when Draco becomes his most conniving self." She smirked, "Glad I don't know how to ride a broom or who knows what evil game strategy he would want my help with."

"What!? You've never -! Why?" Harry upon hearing 'Quidditch,' automatically listened in and was gobsmacked at the information.

Strangers no more, Daisy was showing her true colors and filled the silence by announcing that even she had been on a broom before.

Draco answered Harry before Daphne could even utter a word, "It's no use. I've tried teaching her, but her parents never allowed her near a broom, so she's very accident prone now."

Dora, being older and wiser than the rest of them caught on to the slippery slope they were nearing. Daphne's parents were dead, and it was too soon to joke about their mistakes in casual conversation. Instead, she came up with the perfect escape plan, "How about we girl's go paint our nails?"

Daphne pulled at the end of her braid, her eyes trained curiously on the baby pink varnish on Dora's fingers. The rosy color reminded Daphne of the dainty macaroons she'd eaten on her birthday when the Malfoys had whisked her off to Paris, "I've never - I don't know -" Her gaze swept over to her godmother. "What is it called?"

Daisy giggled and wiggled her baby blue-tipped fingers, "You must be living under a rock, Daph-nee. It's nail polish, duh."

Daphne's folded her arms. She was sure the little girl didn't realize her comment had been on the rude side, but it still nicked at her confidence.

"You'll have to excuse me, but it's a muggle thing, and I did not grow up among them." She almost wanted to declare that she held no interest in painting her nails anyways, but Daisy seemed like a sweet child, and while Draco made quick friends with Harry, Daphne wanted the sister's approval before she became wholly left out.

After all, these people were Sirius's friends and family; Daphne had the full intention of getting along with them. She could even handle a bit of rudeness and not up to par manners as long as they didn't belittle her for things she had no way of knowing.

"It's alright, Daph. My mum grew up just like you, I understand." Dora's hair turned to a shimmering black, and she gave her a wink. "I'm sure auntie won't die of shock."

Daphne's lip pulled up, Dora was always the peacemaker, and she was thankful that she had agreed to be there. But before she asked for Narcissa's permission, she took a moment to build up enough courage to take the rejection she so expected to receive.

"Godmother? May I paint my nails with muggle polish?" Her voice was gentle and syrupy sweet, it usually got Daphne anything she wanted, but she had her doubts and refused to go down alone, "Dora and Daisy asked if I would like to."

Narcissa's sculpted brows shot up over her teacup rim. Silence.

Lily bit the inside of her cheek as she waited for the witch's reply, a distraction on the tip of her tongue in case things went south. Andromeda stood her ground.

The blonde woman placed her drink down and motioned Daphne over to her side. "You don't need to be afraid anymore, my sweet. If something makes you happy, how could I possibly deny you? Go enjoy yourself, Daphne, you're in good hands."

And with that statement proclaimed so publicly among past enemies, hope ensued in all.

oOo

The sun had set and the still orange sky was beginning to darken as nightfall neared. Lily watched as her daughter begged Daphne to stay and smiled to herself. Harry and Draco were already quite the duo as well, and Lily wasn't surprised; children had the innocent tendency to overlook things and live in the moment. If that weren't the case James wouldn't have made friends with Sirius on the Hogwarts Express their first year, and where would they all be now?

"Daphne will be back for Harry's birthday, Daisy." She swiftly intervened as she spotted the first sign of tears in her daughter's brown eyes that resembled her husband's so.

Daisy glanced hopefully up at the taller girl, "Promise you'll come?"

"Promise." Daphne smiled warmly as her fingers liberated the flower pin from her hair. The silver item was the first piece of jewelry she had gifted to Astoria. Unfortunately, it would only gather dust in her collection as it was advertised to be worn by a youth, and she felt it was best to part with it as hoarding the pin for sentimental value would undoubtedly be unhealthy. Of course, her reasoning came to existence because she'd caught the small girl admiring the jewel throughout the day.

Daisy held her breath when Daphne leaned forward and pinned one of her fallen curls back in her braided crown. "There." Her hands clasped in glee, "A daisy for Daisy."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Daph-nee!" The little girl threw her arms around Daphne's middle, taking her by surprise and causing her to eyes to widen. Hesitantly, the pureblood girl returned the embrace.

Lily smiled at her daughter, "It's very pretty, make sure to take good care of it, Daisy." The little girl nodded seriously. "How about you go show Andy before she leaves?" Daisy squealed and ran off, waving farewell vigorously to her new friend.

Before Daphne could head back to where her godmother and Draco were saying their goodbyes, Lily beckoned her over as she took a seat on the stairs, "Daphne, may I have a quick word?"

"Of course, Mrs. Potter." She climbed the first step to be at an equal height advantage and tucked a loose curl behind her ear.

A funny look passed over her face, "Please, call me Lily."

"Okay -" Daphne's lips twisted, "Lily." She briefly wondered if she was in trouble, but the woman didn't appear miffed, just tired.

"What did you think of today, Daphne?" Lily asked tilting her head, her green eyes kind and curious.

Daphne found herself answering truthfully, "It was lovely. It's the most fun I've had in a long time. You are all so strangely nice. It's an honor that you welcomed me into your home with such openness."

Lily reached for her hand slowly as to make her action known, "It was my pleasure, sweetheart. You're terribly well-mannered, but you also have spunk and sass, which you'll learn are good things to have around us Gryffindors. What I didn't expect was your kindness, so I wanted to assure you that I also like you very much indeed, Daphne."

Daphne beamed from the acceptance, "That means a great deal, thank you."

Lily sighed and squeezed her hand before letting go, "You must be wondering why Sirius wasn't here."

Daphne carefully worded her statement, "Harry told me how busy Mr. Black is with his work." Thankfully, the day hadn't been a flop on the topic of her betrothed like Draco had insisted it would be. It was entirely because, Daphne, from everyone's stories, the funny ones too, had gained an inside scoop on who Sirius Black indeed was. Her impression of the man had already been a favorable one, but upon learning how beloved and adored he was by his family - well, she wouldn't let his absence cloud her view.

Lily's sad smile disappeared as soon as it appeared and her lips thinned, "I'm sorry. - Sirius loves his job very much. He's busy, but he wouldn't have it any other way."

"I understand." Daphne's nose scrunched when she smelt smoke. Glancing around, wondering what was causing it, she did not conclude a thing, and Lily's expression did not indicate that she was disturbed by the suddenly present smell.

Lily gave her a look full of regret, "Are you sure you do, Daphne?"

She swallowed and took a small step back. The only reason Daphne held her tongue and questioned nothing was that she had no other choice. She didn't dare pretend that things could've ended up any better for her. However, she had overheard her godparents talking about how unusual the whole arrangement was, and people tended to avoid things of such nature.

"Ignorance is bliss. That is how it goes, isn't it?"

Daphne bit her lip, apologetic for her tone. "My parents didn't baby me like they did Astoria. I know things." She said in a small voice and an unladylike shrug.

Growing up, she was hardly sheltered from arguing and real-world problems, and at age six, Daphne was so advanced in her studies that her old governess had started introducing Hogwarts material into her exercises. Sadly, and maybe it was because she was a girl, or the air of poise she carried herself with was taken as a snobby way of covering up an untrue indifference, some adults thought she was just a stupid kid.

Affected, Daphne raised her nose and tried to mask the hurt in her tone with iciness, "I am not stupid."

"Of course you're not, Daphne!" Lily gasped, shocked and realized that someone must have said something that had stuck with the girl if Daphne was so adamant to prove her intellect. "You are brilliant and very clever for your age. And if anyone says otherwise, you send them to me, and the gang will sort them out, alright?" Lily's grin was infectious.

Daphne's defensive stance relaxed, and she quietly giggled when Lily ran her pointer finger along her neck to further show her point. "I'll keep that in mind."

She heard Draco shouting for her to hurry up, his behavior was - changed, but Daphne reckoned she wasn't the same person she'd been that morning either. "Please tell Mr. Black that I am thankful for what he's done and that I'll see him when I see him." She tested out the goodbye Dora had paid her earlier and hesitated for a second on whether to shake Lily's hand or to hug her.

She held out her hand politely and warmly said, "Thank you, Lily."

Lily ignored the outstretched arm and hugged the girl tightly instead. Completely aware of the two men in the upstairs library - who would get what was coming to them, Lily couldn't help but pity the girl, "Stay strong, Daphne."

* * *

 **Little Note: Updates will become more spaced out now because college is (sadly) starting back up again and I'll have little time to write. I want to assure everyone that Sirius and Daphne will be meeting soon though.**

 **Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think.**


	6. So Mote it Be

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **This chapter continues from where Ch. 5 left off.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

 _So Mote it Be_

 **July 1990**

Sirius could not recall the last time Lily had tested his patience so callously as she had right then. He was about to leave on a mission for Merlin knows how long and Lily just had to get emotional and crush Daphne's spirits with some false warning.

"What have you done, Lils?" James stopped and stared at her from the second-floor landing, aghast.

"What do you mean? He's leaving! Someone had to explain to Daphne why her own betrothed -"

"Do not use that word; you don't know the extent of what it means." Sirius couldn't find the will to look at her, let alone bother to hide his rising temper.

He had done his part and signed the contract. The next proper step in courtship was the meeting of the families, which was customary to be organized by someone other than the couple. Sirius genuinely thought it would be a straightforward correspondence, but Lily's lack of understanding added to Narcissa's stubborn reluctance had cut two years from the time in which he could've met Daphne. He was not only embarrassed for them but himself, _especially_ for himself.

As many so often cared to repeat, he was Head Auror - he had obligations, and usually, Sirius would be proud of this statement - except for today. Today, his responsibilities had screamed for his attention like annoying, petulant children. Three level one emergencies had popped up simultaneously in Bristol, requiring his immediate command of action the one time in his career he had taken leave. It was absurdly ironic given the fact that he was due to depart for an undercover mission - tomorrow.

Sirius needed to regain his dignity in Daphne's eyes before then.

His tone no longer sharp, but edged with rare disappointment, "I was going to tell Miss Greengrass of the mission, Lily. You had absolutely no reason to warn her."

oOo

It was early the next morning, and Malfoy Manor was as quiet as ever. Narcissa was basking in the first rays of the sun and browsing through _L'étiquette de la Mode_ with her porcelain coffee cup nearby. This was her favorite time of day: when her boys were too sleepy to make any ruckus and stayed dutifully put in their rooms. Daphne's presence was the only one she could tolerate before breakfast and Narcissa savored the peaceful moments when her goddaughter would come to join her.

"Cissa." It was a terse greeting.

Her brow rose a fraction, and she did not care to give any further indication that she had heard her cousin. At present, she couldn't have loathed him more.

"I've come to apologize."

The determination in his voice made her snort loudly, "To me, Sirius?"

"Do not play coy, Narcissa." Sirius drawled tiredly; it was too early for him to bicker with her. "To Miss Greengrass. Is she up?" He sat down uninvited on the emerald sofa a few good feet away from her prised albino snakeskin chair.

Narcissa opened one eye and hissed, "You're choosing to do this now? What's brought on this decision?"

Sirius adjusted the large bouquet of yellow roses in his grasp and slipped the jewelry box back into the pocket of his muted silver wizard robes. "I would rather explain myself with Miss Greengrass present."

Narcissa grumbled out a retort about never considering him to be a traditionalist before calling for her elf, "Is Daphne awake?"

The house elf bowed deeply to her Lady, "Yes, Mistress." Fay took immediate notice of the Black Head of House. He looked so very much like her former Master, Cynus, but this Black she knew was one of the good ones, probably the _only_ good one if Fay was honest.

"Good. Then get her ready and bring her down. Oh, and Fay, do tell Daphne of our guest. - I don't want her to have a shock." Narcissa smiled obnoxiously at Sirius, resentment in her grey eyes and Sirius returned her look.

"Right away, Mistress." The elderly elf popped away unheard.

"No, please and thank you, Cissa? Andy assumed she was finally getting through to your cold heart." Sirius smirked when her expression soured.

"The day has just dawned, I'm a different person come tea time, cousin."

"Oh, I'm sure you are. Why are you even up at this ungodly hour? I have no choice, criminals don't sleep, but what's your excuse?" Sirius asked frowning when Narcissa hid a yawn.

"Daphne still gets nightmares some mornings, and I don't like for her to wake up alone." Narcissa sighed and scratched at the snakeskin cushion with a sharp nail. "Merlin knows it's always about _that_ night."

Sirius's frown intensified, "I wasn't aware her dreams had continued. _Tell me_ you've given her Dreamless Sleep potion."

"Of course, but it's useless to her now - she's built up a tolerance." The woman bristled just thinking of the failed potion and Severus's blunt refusal to give the ten-year-old anything stronger.

"Have you tried getting Miss Greengrass to speak of it or even her family? St. Mungo's used therapeutic storytelling to help the War orphans with their grief." With the amount of time the Auror newbies spent in St. Mungo's, Sirius had learned a thing or two of the hospital's additional programs while visiting the fools.

Narcissa sighed and clasped her hands, "She refuses to speak of her parents, so Lucius and I avoid reminiscing, but she does bring Astoria up from time to time." She took a sweeping look of the parlor room and found it essential to whisper her next words, "Regarding that night though - Daphne told me that she remembers everything except for how she got out of the house. She's quite bothered by it and - so am I."

Sirius looked pensive and leaned back crossing his arms, "You know, I always did wonder how she managed to escape from the house."

It was Narcissa's turn to frown, "She wasn't inside the Manor?"

"No," Sirius shook his head and leaned forward, "I thought you knew. We found Miss Greengrass outside near the forest."

"She could have gone out the front door; it was in the same general area. But - no, that doesn't make sense." Narcissa tsked, "Quinton blocked all entryways overnight, no one could get in or out."

A look of understanding passed over Sirius, "I lowered the wards to get in without triggering the alarms. She must have used the front door."

"Why doesn't she remember then?" Narcissa questioned curiously.

Sirius shrugged, his thumb tracing along his lower lip, "With everything Miss Greengrass saw that night, it's more than likely she simply forgot."

"Perhaps." Narcissa wasn't pleased with his answer, Daphne's mind was sharp, and she was continually bringing up obscure things from the past.

"Mistress -" Fay appeared and pointed towards the marble staircase where a nervous looking Daphne was carefully descending.

Narcissa stood, immediately masking her previous anxiety with a smile. Her eyes skimmed fondly over her pretty goddaughter, admiring the white and silver checkered dress she wore.

Turning, impatient to see her cousin's reaction, Narcissa gasped in surprise upon not finding him where she expected. She twisted around, and her gaze settled on Sirius holding out a hand for Daphne to grasp as she neared the bottom steps.

"Miss Greengrass," Sirius gently took the girl's hand and raised it to his lips, "I'm pleased to see you again."

"Are you?" Daphne's hazel eyes widened in shock when the rude question tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop herself. Her already pink cheeks tinged red when Sirius began to howl with laughter.

She bit her lip and quickly said what would've been the proper form of greeting, "It's charming to see you as well, Mr. Black. Forgive me, but I did not expect to see you so soon."

Sirius smiled, he couldn't blame her for doubting him and took on a sincere expression, "I've come to apologize to you for my unplanned absence yesterday. You see, I got pulled away for a sudden emergency in Bristol."

He paused, "I would also like to address the conversation you had with Lily. She often gets dramatic when she's worried, and I'm afraid she upset you." Sirius's brows furrowed as he remembered the argument that had erupted upon Daphne's departure. His thumb brushed over the back of her hand with surprising tenderness as he searched for the perfect words that would hopefully put her mind at ease, "Know that I would never intentionally ignore you, Miss Greengrass."

Daphne held his gaze. Her eyes were extraordinarily expressive now that he thought of it; strikingly beautiful in their doll-like wonder, with the hints of gold and forest green.

Sirius guessed she must have found whatever she was looking for because she bestowed him a dazzling smile, "Thank you, Mr. Black."

Her attention dropped promptly to the roses in his arms, and Sirius grinned at her proper way of changing the subject.

"These, of course, are for you, sweetheart." He carefully placed the considerably sized bouquet into her arms before helping her down the last few stair steps for he was aware that she could no longer see her feet.

Daphne held the yellow roses out in front of her, charmed by his additional gesture of regret, "How stunning! And oh look, you remembered to indicate that they're from you." She pointed out the elegant ivory name tag tied with a silver bow around the covered stems.

"Did I forget the first time?" Sirius questioned, amusement in his tone as he guided her to the sitting area. He was glad to note that Daphne was still just as well-spoken and confident as she had been; nevertheless, he much preferred this version of her which was not holding back any tears.

"You did, but I found out eventually." Daphne sighed while she smoothed down her dress and accepted Sirius's polite hand of assistance for her to sit in the opposite chair from her godmother.

As he sat in his previous spot, Sirius despairingly attempted to keep a straight face, "It will never happen again."

"I do hope so." Daphne's eyes danced with mirth, "Though, now you can rest assured that any unsigned flowers I receive, I'll think are from you and not some secret admirer."

Sirius bit his tongue. Daphne would be sorted into Slytherin no matter what come next September, but he grew up with snakes and knew how to play their games well. "Clever girl, that's been my intention all along."

Daphne raised her brow and stared at him for a moment, her lips pulling up, "I don't believe you." Her head tilted, and a girlish snicker left her throat, "For I was only teasing, Mr. Black."

Narcissa burst out laughing before they could, and their disbelieving gazes fell onto the blonde haired witch who was currently gasping for breath.

Daphne looked on worriedly, "Fay, quickly bring godmother some water, please." The elf popped back not even a second later, and Narcissa wrapped her fingers around the glass hurriedly.

"Oh, you can also take these up to my room." She handed the kind elf the large bouquet of roses and frowned upon seeing that the stems reached the floor, "Thank you, Fay."

A muffled voice, "My pleasure, little Green."

Sirius leaned forward with his hands clasped and a hesitant expression on his face as he waited patiently for the witches to settle down. He had not seen his cousin laugh so freely since they were children, and it pleased him to know that her reaction was brought on by Daphne's witty words. It was a comforting thought that Narcissa had found the daughter she so longed for within Daphne and that the latter would be forever safe in his cousin's care.

Sirius cleared his throat and winced with regret at the news he was about to deliver. "The other reason I'm here is to inform you both that I shall be leaving on a mission this evening."

The joy in Narcissa's eyes died and was replaced by hatred before she screeched in rage, "Another one, Sirius?! You do realize you have D-"

"Let me finish, Narcissa!" He snapped fiercely and immediately regretted it. "Forgive me."

He threatened a glance in Daphne's direction and did not know whether to breathe a sigh of relief at her unaffected state or to denounce her parent's graves.

Sirius continued slowly, "It's an undercover mission in Europe. As a precaution, I can not reveal the exact location or case." James, Lily, Remus and Frank Longbottom were the only ones who knew of any additional details as it was safer for all parties concerned. Upon his departure tonight, James and Frank would stand in as Head Auror and wait for his cryptic messages once his cover became well-established.

His ears picked up a faint whimper leave Daphne's throat. It was a noise he never wanted to hear from her again, as he physically jolted and took a sharp inhale. Blame tensed his muscles when he detected her fear.

"Is it - dangerous?" The reflective surface of the glass table held the girl's focus, and her hands gripped the tufts of veil fashioned in her dress.

"Quite." He willed her to look at him, but he was unsuccessful in his silent effort. "There's no need to be afraid for me, Miss Greengrass. I've dealt with monsters before." Sirius watched her lower lip tremble and realized that he had said the worst thing imaginable. Although long ago now, Daphne had referred to the Death Eaters who murdered her family as _monsters_.

"I know that." Her voice was only a whisper, and Sirius doubted Narcissa could hear, though maybe it was best that she remained in the dark. "But all monsters are different."

Daphne's innocent eyes pinned him to the spot. He knew then that no matter what happened before his return, he could never lie to those eyes. "How long will you be gone for, Mr. Black?"

"Years, months - I'm not sure I can give you an accurate answer, darling." Undercover missions were tricky to estimate a time frame for because their outcomes depended on numerous unknown and unpredictable variables. Since Sirius had informed them, James, Lily, and Remus had spent months trying to turn theories into calculations, and all that they had put forth were laughably far apart numbers. Remus, for Circe's sake, had him gone for a whopping seven years.

A tear ran down Daphne's cheek, "Why you?" Her voice cracked on the simple worded phrase, and she squeezed her eyes shut while she took a deep breath.

Even though Sirius had seen it in action once before, it was still impressive to witness how much control Daphne held over her emotions. When she opened her eyes, they were visibly more clear, "Isn't there anyone else you can send?"

Sirius looked down at his worn hands, "No." The rest of the Aurors had families or partners. Narcissa might argue that he had Daphne now, but she was so young - if something happened, she would not break. "I've gone undercover before. I have experience compared to the others." He heard Daphne whimper again and found himself unable to face her way.

Her reaction was a little more than unexpected to him. Harry and the other kids had replied an excited "cool!" after his elaboration over how dangerous the mission would be. He thought Daphne would act similarly or be completely indifferent, but she was in _pain_.

Sirius, gutted with overwhelming guilt, ran a hand through his hair. It was then he noticed Narcissa's pointed gaze pleading for him to say something to break the strained silence that had descended within the room.

"I'll be saving many, many people once the mission's over, Miss Greengrass." Sirius gave the girl a reassuring grin.

It was not enough though. In the next moment, Daphne's composure crumbled, and she began to sob heavily.

"Shit." He leaped to his feet and rushed to her side just in time to hear her utter an empty hearted, "Nothing is fair."

He knelt, hands positioned on the left arm of her chair, allowing respectable distance, yet edging to comfort as well. "Daphne?"

Her face was turned away from him, so he did not witness her shocked reaction to the use of her first name. However, he did hear her crying cease and figured he'd finally done something right. "Daphne, please look at me."

Cheeks, tear-stained and flushed, Daphne tucked her hair behind her ear as she gazed at him through her wet lashes.

The suffering in her expression extracted an immediate apology from the tip of his tongue. "I'm sorry its taken this long for us to meet again, sweetheart. I'm the one to blame for not taking action."

Her hands slowly reached up in an 'it is what it is' motion and the left edge of her reddened lip pulled up.

"Come now darling, wipe those tears. I have a surprise for you, and I think you're going to like it." Reaching into his inner pocket, he spotted Narcissa holding back tears of pride, and he gave her a wink.

Daphne knelt on the chair to face him, a glimmer of anticipation obscuring the previous sadness in her reddened eyes.

Sirius made a show of presenting the elegant jewelry box, earning a girlish giggle from her just as he had hoped. She was only ten, the exchange between them did not warrant a grandeur romance.

He opened the velvet box with refined delicacy and carefully watched as her eyes lit up and her pillowy lips parted in wonder.

"It's a ring." She glimpsed at him then back down to the sparkling jewel. The centered diamond was flanked, top and bottom, by three grouped moonstone stars and was quite the eye-catcher.

Sirius removed the precious heirloom from its nestled place between the folds of silk. "It's an engagement ring with a few charms to keep you safe. I'm giving it to you now seeing as I don't know when I'll be back."

Sirius had enchanted the ring because he needed to know Daphne was under protection at all times while he was away. He believed it to be a requirement seeing that the entire Wizarding World knew who Daphne was to him and as Head Auror, Sirius was a man with countless enemies. If Daphne were in danger, his Head of House ring would burn, and a location link would allow him to apparate to her side immediately.

Daphne held out her left hand without hesitance, "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Pleased with her delight, Sirius took a gentle hold of her hand and cleared his throat, "Do you, Miss Daphne, heiress of Greengrass House, allow me, Lord of House Black, to gift you with this betrothal ring as a symbol of our unity?"

"I do," Daphne said in a silvery voice, and Sirius slowly began to slip the ring onto her finger.

Before properly on, however, Daphne seized his left hand and tugged at his Head of House ring, pulling him into the magical pact as well.

"Do you, Lord Black, promise me, Daphne Greengrass, to be careful on your mission and to return safely?" The planned phrase was said with no room for escape.

Sirius, having sustained quite the shock from her unexpected deviance, registered Daphne's sincere wish and became profoundly touched by her concern, "I do."

Merlin help him, Daphne had long ago won him over, but now she had also stolen his heart.

* * *

 **Little Note: These might be ( spoilers) so look away if you're opposed to them. **

I'm writing a 'grown-up' Sirius, not the overly reckless/foolish man he's sometimes depicted as being. He has a successful career, and he's not just going to throw it away for Daphne.

It was never my aim for Sirius and Daphne to interact more than they have when she's only a child. She's 10; he's 31. (Hint: time jump)

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. Please let me know what you think.**


	7. Return

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 _Return_

 **January 1998**

Daphne spun her way through the noiseless blanketed forest of ice. The winter sun, a trickster with its promising rays of warmth, was worthless in the snow-covered hills beyond Potter Manor and was starting to set. Her footprints from yesterday were leading the way, and her breath appeared in sharp clouds of steam as she got closer to the thermal spring.

Even without the telling signs of nature, like the knotted tree or the frosted holly bush, she knew her way. Daphne attributed this sense of belonging amidst the forest to her Greek mythological namesake. Though the similarity to the tale ended there, for no enamored Apollo chased after her, and she was free.

Shame, the reality of her own life was remarkably more tragic than that of the nymph. Sirius Black, her betrothed, had been gone for seven years now and it was unknown to Daphne whether he was still with the bastards below or among the gods above. The Potter patriarch insisted he was fine, but his lack of substantial evidence left her questioning if indeed he knew anything of Sirius's whereabouts.

In the beginning, Sirius's absence had seemed momentary and a thing of familiarity as they had only met twice in two years. Daphne's devotion to him had been so remarkably influential in its innocence back then that no one could touch the pedestal she had placed him on. Notably, though, her mind had had the newness of Hogwarts to scrutinize and a House of snakes to conquer as a distraction from any thoughts of homesickness or dog stars.

As time stretched on, however, and Daphne grew, her childish perception of Sirius shifted. No longer was he just her selfless hero, but the acclaimed, dedicated man who, one day, was to be her husband. With the transition, a deep-rooted yearning had sparked within her heart seemingly overnight. Boys morphed into utterly ridiculous toys, and flirtatious Muggle-borns, clueless of their customs, were laughed at and brutally ignored. At a precarious fifteen, Daphne had fancied herself in love with Sirius Black.

Regretfully, her whimsical made-up fantasies faltered to a halt when she came of age and gained the title of Lady Greengrass rather than of Lady Black. Daphne's once idyllic love had transformed into volatile uncertainty with the blowing out of birthday candles on her seventeenth. Was her faith in him and over his return unjustified? Had the hours spent musing over their future been a waste? Did her unflinching loyalty belong to a dead man?

A powerful wintry gust swept Daphne's loose curls and ruffled the fur of her heavy cloak. Shivers went down her spine causing her purposeful steps to quicken.

With the passing of a fallen branch, the picturesque trees began to clear, and the air turned dense with vapor from the hot spring. It was a sight to see. The milky water reflected the indigo and burnt orange streaks of color in the sky above.

Daphne dropped her winter cloak and pulled off her heeled boots, not minding when the icy gravel beneath her bare feet burnt like fire. Her pale thighs erupted in goosebumps, and her silk camise turned into a sheet of ice.

Dipping her toes into the spring sent ripples across the shallow expanse, and that was the moment she spotted something in the water. Her brows furrowed as she leaned forward to catch a better glimpse at the swirling red specks and jolted when she realized what they were.

With a flick of her wand, her cloak flew on, and her boots rightened themselves and welcomed her blue-tinged feet with a cozy warming charm.

Her attention tilted up to the flying Aurors overhead and a sonorous incantation amplified her voice, "Excuse me! Whatever is it you're doing?"

There was a yell, an urgent motion to her general direction and suddenly five men, dressed impeccably in scarlet lower-level Auror uniforms, were swooping down on their broomsticks.

"Lady Greengrass!" The Auror unit had doubled after the department's first mass recruitment in seven years, and Daphne was unfamiliar with the newest members.

Instantly, she was on edge, "Has something happened?"

A skinny, sharp-nosed man spoke up, confusion evident on his sunken face, "No, Miss. We were ordered to find you on account that you had - lost your way."

Daphne's sculpted brow rose, incredulous, and she folded her arms, "Well as you can see, gentlemen, I am not in any form of distress, and my wand is right here." She held the laurel wood in the air for the dutiful lackeys to notice. Being more than miffed at the mindless interruption made her following words haughty, "Now which fool rallied up the troop to come searching for me on New Year's Day? Was it James?"

"Not Potter, Miss." The youngest lad interrupted with a squeak, and the group exchanged hesitant glances amongst themselves.

Sharp nose cleared his throat and bobbed around her at a speakable distance, "M'lady, we received our orders from the Head Auror."

Daphne's ears buzzed and she swallowed promptly. Even with James and Frank standing in, the Auror Department firmly addressed the 'Head' title only to their true leader. She must have misheard, "Who?"

"Sirius Black, Miss. If he has not joined the search party, Black might still be at the edge of Potter forest -" It was enough. Her heart skipped a treacherous beat, and Daphne shifted on the spot.

She apparated silently next to a towering pine from where Potter Manor appeared in its splendid entirety.

In the field of snow before her, thirty or so statuesque Aurors stood near two arguing men. The picture, so like the night of the murder, ignited such a strong sense of deja vu for Daphne that she almost lost her footing. Though, it was nothing compared to seeing Sirius again.

She discouraged herself repeatedly while standing there in the blistering cold, but the details were too precise for Daphne to consider that she was imagining the whole scene in her head. This time, Sirius sensed her presence first. When she saw his head tilt, an alert gesture she knew had carried over from his canine counterpart, her breath caught.

No, she wasn't dreaming it; this was _very_ real. Sirius Black was not dead, and he was striding purposefully towards her, crushing thick ice-covered snow in his wake. Daphne, on the other hand, was not as prepared to see him as he appeared inclined to see her, so she stood motionlessly, face void of emotion.

It gave her ample opportunity to study him without being conspicuous. He was unchanged in appearance, and exceptionally more handsome than Daphne had remembered him to be. His grey eyes were captivating, and his hair fell charmingly past his ears, softening his distinctive aristocratic features. She took in his somewhat crinkled ebony Head Auror's uniform with tarnished gold buttons and thought of what wonders a few skilled charms would do to the worn coat. She knew of those charms; she could be of help.

Sirius halted in his steps an arms reach away, and that was when Daphne noticed the dark circles underneath his eyes giving away his tiredness. Ever so abruptly, she felt utterly stupid for forgetting the circumstances that had separated them for so long. She questioned what traumas he could've endured, what horrors he might've witnessed throughout his seven-year-long mission. Had he been in constant danger this entire time?

Daphne's tears came quickly. "You're alive." She sniffed pitifully, and by emotional habit, fiddled with her engagement ring, "You came back. You kept my promise."

Sirius frowned in sympathy, "Of course, Daphne." His palms turned out, "Of course, I did." He regarded her as a frightened animal, thoughtfully and with no hidden motive other than concern, "Come here, darling."

Daphne launched herself into his waiting arms and Sirius enveloped her in a tender embrace like it was the most natural thing to do.

"Is it over?" She asked, her voice a throaty whisper in his ear.

Sirius sighed into her hair, "Yes, I'm here to stay."

Daphne pulled away first, wanting to see him and suddenly embarrassed over her behavior. She reached up to wipe her tears, but Sirius beat her to it. He cupped her face and ran his thumbs over her cheeks to rid them of the wetness.

Daphne's gaze fixated on the dragon hide boots he wore as she tried to slow the beating of her heart. He was not playing fair; he was unaware of how much he meant to her.

Her hand covered his, and her eyes narrowed as a form of protection, "I am no longer a child, you are not required to dry my tears." She was unsure of his intentions, of his thoughts, mainly because she was alarmed at the level of pleasure she had received from his compassionate gesture.

Instantly, his touch was gone, yet the intimate space between them remained.

Sirius straightened his posture while his brow rose and thoughtfulness marred his expression. "No, you are no longer a child. You are a beautiful young woman that is most deserving of respect. Forgive me, but I find it difficult seeing you cry knowing that I am the one responsible."

No pureblood wizard had ever apologized for their far from exemplary behavior before, and Sirius had only rid her of tears. She was being silly.

Daphne's cheeks lit with color, betraying her. "Your words are charming, Sirius, but completely unnecessary." She gave him a timid smile, "You see, I am unused to such 'gestures." _From you._

Daphne willed herself to hold eye contact and to remain composed. Affection was not something she had much experience with. Her outspoken refusal and disinterest to become romantically or physically involved with someone other than her betrothed had never deterred.

Though Daphne was not a shy bird, and if her memory served correctly, she had never been in Sirius's presence. "I am not, however, opposed to them. So if you wish to wipe my tears in the future, you may." She mentally applauded herself when her cheeks did not burn like some sensitive schoolgirl's.

Sirius chuckled charmingly and held out his arm for her to take. The sun had set, and the temperature was dropping lower than any warming charms could actively protect against. "I wish never to see you cry again, but it seems that every time we're together, you're destined to shed a tear or two." He gave her a wink, "Must be because of my blinding glory."

Daphne's brow rose, yet she still took his offered arm as they trekked through the impossible snow.

Was this the flirtatious trickster she was dealing with now? His ego was considerably larger than Lily, and Professor Lupin had led her on to believe. Daphne, although hesitant to reflect over and compare Sirius's behavior to her already vast knowledge of him, could not help herself. After all, it was not of her wicked scheming but of time's, that the snippets regarding Sirius's past had plucked themselves from the memories of those he loved and became weaved into such a rich tale over the years.

"Your blinding glory? Don't make me laugh. Who gathered up the entire Auror unit to hunt me down? On New Year's Day no less?" She unabashedly smirked when he cleared his throat and patted her wrist.

"No one knew where you were when I arrived. Then Daisy remembered you came in yesterday covered in pine needles, and I went berserk." He ruffled his hair and cast a cautious glance towards the Manor, "Actually might've scared a few people. - Are you aware of how cold it is?"

"Cold enough for you to forget that I am a witch, so it seems. Please do not fret; I was casting warming charms every few minutes." Daphne's grip on his arm tightened as they climbed the slippery stone steps. The frosted french doors leading inside eased open, and a comfortable warmth welcomed them back. Daphne rested her hand on the frigid gold epaulet of his uniform as she went on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, "But I thank you for your concern."

"Certainly, my dear." He took her hand in his own, "Now, I apologize, but I must go debrief Fudge and announce to the press that I've returned. I'm afraid I'm in for a very long night." He gave her a tight, remorse filled smile, "May I see you again tomorrow morning?"

It did not escape Daphne's attention that Sirius had informed her of his return before the Minister of Magic. Daphne squeezed his hand, "You may see me only after you've had a good rest."

Sirius's unrelenting devotion to his work was commendable, and his achievements most certainly proved that his hard work was paying off. But Daphne could not help wonder what exactly he was trying to achieve by torturing himself so. The Minister was an understanding clown that could wait until morning. While the press - well, they were like nifflers, round-the-clock scavengers looking for gossip as if it were gold.

Sirius's face brightened as though she had said something more marvelous than what she considered to have been an innocent rebuke. "You're an absolute angel."

He was incorrect in his assumption. If it had been _anyone else_ deprived of precious sleep, she wouldn't have troubled herself over their wellbeing. Daphne followed her delicate hand in his worn one while he rose it to his lips. "I am no such thing," She yanked him to her; he stumbled a step, the poor man, and looked defenseless when they stood but a breath away. Daphne wrapped both her hands around his, "Why did you send the Aurors after me?"

It took a split second for Sirius to reply, "The unit is ready at my beck and call. I thought you were in trouble and knew it was within my ability to find you."

Daphne twisted her words, "So you wanted the recognition that -"

"Please don't think I am some shallow -"

Daphne's heart dropped in guilt, "Of course not! You're the most honorable man I know!" She distanced herself away from him quickly before she could say anything she would regret later on. "I'm sorry, Sirius, but I worried for you - _greatly_." Her brows furrowed in pain as she pleaded with him, "I thought you were dead. I _mourned_ you."

An unsteady inhale calmed her building emotion enough that she could meet his rapt gaze, "So, forgive me if it is wrong to care for you and to believe that you are deserving of a good nights rest. I am not an angel; I'm just your betrothed."

Sirius broke their eye contact by glancing suspiciously at one of the shut doors in the hallway from which light was streaming out from. He wandlessly muttered a silencing spell before he sighed deeply and the edge of his lips drew up, "No privacy."

"Never." Daphne narrowed her eyes at the door, easily picturing Harry and Draco leaning side by side listening and retaining her words to use as blackmail later.

Sirius cleared his throat, "You should know that James sent me yearly updates of how you were getting on."

Daphne cringed in pity at his confession, "I can only imagine how tedious -"

Sirius interrupted her; an almost growl of disagreement rumbling from deep within his chest, "I asked him to, and those letters were the highlight of my year."

"You must be lying then." Daphne shook her head with a self-deprecating giggle, but the sound was practically wrenched from her and replaced by a string of coughs when she was summoned magically to his side. Her eyes widened comically at his execution of power.

"I could make something up to let you win, but it would be the greatest lie I've ever told." Sirius took her hands, and Daphne was already too overwhelmed to place much importance over his fond hold.

His grey eyes pierced her with their affectionate determination, "You have been honest with me, and I appreciate it. So I am returning the favor because I am your betrothed." He repeated her earlier use of the term. "I thought of you too, Daphne. Understood?"

Daphne inwardly blushed at the meaning behind his words and smiled prettily, "Yes. - Thank you, Sirius."

Sirius pecked her on the cheek, "Glad I can still put your mind at ease." He straightened and looked down warmly at her, "I did promise the Minister I'd speak with him tonight, but perhaps -"

"Oh, hush now." Daphne waved his indecision away, unwilling to come between him and his responsibilities so early into their - relationship. "I know how you value keeping promises, you chivalrous fool, so I won't hold you any longer."

Sirius returned her radiant expression, the tiredness in his eyes disappearing with wonder, "It's difficult for me to accept this isn't only a dream. - That I'm honestly here after so long."

Daphne's heart tugged, and without debating her actions, she grasped his left hand and held it to her cheek. "I can assure you that I am very real." Her lips pressed against his palm, "Welcome home, Sirius."

"I must say it's good to be back, Daphne." Sirius cupped her cheek tenderly and kissed her hair. "I'll see you tomorrow, my darling." And with that endearment out in the open, Sirius was gone.

Daphne stood staring at the spot he had silently disapparated from when a thunderous bang announced the impatience of two certain snakes. She jumped, and her annoyance sparked like a poorly cast incendio.

The shock of Sirius's return had not ceased in sending shivers down her spine, and she was left reeling after the exchange. Daphne would have favored being alone while her heart gained a steady rhythm once more and the rose-tinted glasses she suddenly wore did not distort the view she had over the world.

Smirking, Draco leaned on the nearest wall, his platinum hair glowing in the brightly lit passing way, "Look at you, all rosy cheeked and starry-eyed. Heard you two already squabbling like a married couple. Did you make up like one as well?"

"He is my godfather, Draco. I don't need that image in my head." Harry scowled at his best mate before he focused intently on Daphne. "So, where was he? Mum and dad still won't come clean."

"Sorry, Harry, but he didn't say, and I didn't ask." Daphne studied a vase of wilting roses on the table next to her to ignore their judgmental stares. She tried a wandless reviving spell: the green stems stayed bent, and the petals remained brown.

Taking out her wand, she vanished the flowers altogether and cleared her throat, "Sirius just got back, why would I make him recount his mission to me when he's indebted to tell everyone else?" Daphne's tone was of a gentle firmness. From personal experience, she understood how difficult it was to speak of a traumatic event. "I'm sure you'll be able to read about it in the papers tomorrow anyways."

Her heeled boots clicked on the maple wood floor as she walked away from them. "If anyone asks for me, please tell them I don't wish to be bothered tonight."

Draco rolled his eyes, but a small doubt of worry sent him striding after her, "Did Black say something?"

Daphne halted at his anxious tone and smiled gently, "No, he was a perfect gentleman. I simply need a moment to collect myself." Her happiness broke through the mask she had created to prevent anyone from belittling her feelings. "Oh, Draco don't you get it? Everything's going to be alright now."

Draco frowned deeply and gripped her by the elbow while he grumbled frustratingly close to her ear, "Be realistic, Daphne. It's been seven years. He's not the same man he once was."

It was what she had been afraid of: her deserving, lighthearted mood being shattered to pieces. Daphne removed his tight hold and hissed, "Don't you dare ruin this moment for me. Whoever Sirius is now; I'll stand by him."

oOo

Somewhere in a vast, darkened Manor, the twelfth chime of a clock ceased echoing. There was a dismaying harrumph from the end of the dining table, "Midnight, already?" Cornelius Fudge glanced impassively to his wife.

Eleanor Fudge wrapped her wrinkled fingers around her wine goblet and raised it to her lips, choosing to remain silent. She could hardly stand to see the sight of the man before her, let alone hear his grating voice. It was sad, really - their marriage had not always been like this, loveless and empty. In their youth, they had been inseparable, crazy for one another. But alas, at the turning of a milestone age, Cornelius had envisioned himself to be a leader, and all other thoughts had fallen beyond his line of sight. Eleanor had become invisible to him, and he to her.

Cornelius cleared his throat once more, "Sirius Black has returned. It's why I was late coming home."

Eleanor's interest peaked ever so slightly; it was more information about his whereabouts than Cornelius had provided her with in ages. Her jade eyes peered past the empty expanse of the table, "Where was he this whole time?"

Cornelius's straightened his shoulders, hiding his surprise at her voluntary exchange, "In the land of carnivals and cannolis, my dear. Venice." Seeing as Eleanor's attention was still undividedly focused on him, he continued, "Years ago, Black recognized a trail of witches and wizards disappearing around Europe and turning up as statues in Italy. Remind you of anything?"

Eleanor wrung her hands, "But Cornelius, The Masked Demons fable is only that, a silly story told to scare children from venturing into the muggle world at night."

"The people were left alive, Eleanor. Their souls and magical cores were ripped from their bodies before being turned into stone puppets. Unable to move or to think they suffered the ultimate death." Cornelius shuddered. "Black discovered the inner circle and over the past seven years has captured every one of those murderers."

"Salazar have mercy," Eleanor gasped as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Has the Wizengamot awarded this man an Order of Merlin?"

"We have - First Class." Eleanor's thin lips pulled up marginally, and she reached for her wine.

Cornelius eyed his wife, and after a quiet minute he spoke, "The Ministerial elections are this year, and I would like you to know that I have chosen to retire from office."

Eleanor's heart gave a beat, but she did not show it. Pitty, if the arrogant man thought his years of neglect would righten with an insufficient declaration and no apology. "Who will you put forth as a successor in the running?" Rufus, their nephew, was the obvious choice. After all, with no children, Rufus was the closest thing to a son they had. It was unfortunate, however, that the boy had the brains of a slug and was as stubborn as a mule.

"Sirius Black," Cornelius announced with a proud drive which was unlike his typical childish insensitivity.

"Do you think that is wise?" Eleanor hummed as her goblet magically filled with more burgundy liquid.

Her question did not deter Cornelius, "I do. Lord Black is a skilled wizard, a driven man and the Wizarding World worships the ground he walks on. Think of the recognition I shall receive for establishing him as the next Minister for Magic." His eyes gleamed at the idea for a moment before they narrowed, "Why would it be a mistake?"

Eleanor glimpsed at her husband, "It will undoubtedly take a while for him to adjust back into the community -"

"Even better, he will further require my assistance."

"Do be reasonable, husband. Lord Black may desire a break after such an achievement. Not to -"

He interrupted her again with a chortle, "Sirius is a man of action. A Gryffindor! He won't want -"

"Think of his bride, you narrow-minded _fool_!"

The insult passed over his head, and Cornelius startled, "Miss Greengrass? Why she is only -"

Her correction was a sharp-bladed knife, "The witch turned of age early _last_ year."

Eleanor had met Daphne Greengrass at one of Lady Malfoy's soirees during the summertime. The young woman was rare in her sweet candor while retaining an enviable allure of elegance and dignity. Eleanor liked her, especially since she had recognized a long-forgotten maternal inclination behind Daphne's exchange amid the children present.

"What does Greengrass have to do with Lord Black becoming Minister for Magic?" Cornelius asked, unbeknown to him that his phrase had secondhandedly explained their failed marriage. It was also the last straw needed to feed Eleanor's fiery hatred.

"Perhaps he cares for her enough to keep from making such a stupid - _stupid_ mistake." Eleanor rose from the table, "Do whatever you want, Cornelius. I've long stopped caring for you."

* * *

 **Thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think.**


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